uFraction8 Limited, a Scottish and Polish-based company specializing in microfluidics-based bio-separation technology, has successfully completed a £3.4 million seed funding round. The investment was led by the Ventures team at Foresight Group, with contributions from Old College Capital, Scottish Enterprise, Alwyn Capital, and existing investor Thia Ventures. A £1.5 million grant from the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) also supported the funding.
uFraction8, established in 2017 by Dr. Monika Tomecka (CEO) and Dr. Brian Miller (CTO), leverages breakthrough research published in the journal Nature. The company’s microfluidics-based technology enables continuous bioprocessing of various cell lines, including mammalian cells, stem cells, and microalgae at scale. This innovation addresses common challenges in bioprocessing, such as restricted production volumes, extended downtime between batches, lower quality output, high operating costs, and a significant carbon footprint.
With its reusable, patent-protected technology, uFraction8 can boost production volumes up to 20 times, reaching 20,000L while maintaining a yield exceeding 99%. The technology offers a sustainable and energy-efficient alternative to traditional methods by optimizing cell and biomass production. This positions uFraction8 to tackle crucial issues within the bioeconomy by increasing the scalability and affordability of bioprocessing.
uFraction8’s technology has broad applications but is initially focused on three primary markets: microalgae, biopharma, and alternative protein. The market size for microalgae and bio-separation in biopharma are projected to reach $3 billion and $30 billion, respectively, by 2030. This new funding will be used for further technology development, commercialization of the technology in Europe and North America, and expansion of the company’s sales and manufacturing capabilities.
Foresight’s Ventures team invests in high-growth companies that are developing advanced technologies, including deep tech, hard tech, and enterprise software. Foresight collaborates with founders and management teams to build successful companies which deliver strong economic returns and have a positive impact on society. To date, the Ventures strategy has invested £80 million in 39 deep tech companies.
Foresight’s Scottish Growth Fund, which supports entrepreneurs and management teams in achieving their business goals, also provided support for this investment. Foresight has, to date, invested over £54 million into growing companies located across Scotland.
Monika Tomecka, CEO and Co-founder at uFraction8, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to have secured this investment, which will propel us to the next stage of growth. The support from Foresight Group, Old College Capital, Scottish Enterprise and Alwyn Capital is a testament to the impact and potential of our technology. This funding will enable us to bring our solutions to market more rapidly, particularly within the microalgae and biopharma sectors, while continuing to innovate in the alternative protein sector.”
Rubina Singh, Senior Investment Manager at Foresight, added, “At Foresight, we’re committed to supporting pioneering technologies for a sustainable future. We are delighted to be backing Monika and the uFraction8 team in bringing this breakthrough technology to market. uFraction8’s advancements in continuous bioprocessing present transformative opportunities across multiple industries and we are excited to see the impact it can make.”
